


The Incident

by Zappy



Series: Crimson Spade [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 16:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7691200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zappy/pseuds/Zappy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the world 696, a young vigilante has his opening night...and nothing goes to plan. For Red Hood, nothing in his life will ever be the same. This is the start of Year One. (The series will eventually have Bathood/Batjokes).</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Incident

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Red Hood-as-a-superhero!AU. And as such is completely filled with the stuff I know & like best. It was inspired by a few things, but mostly by Deep Cover Batman! episode in Batman: the Brave & the Bold...
> 
> Hope you enjoy it as well as I did writing it!

Earth 696 – Gotham City

                The air felt thick within the helmet, but going out with a ski mask felt like cheating. The super hero business was like acting, you had to have flair to make it, or else you’re just a punk backstage crewman cleaning up the mess of the proper authorities. At least that was Red Hood’s take on things. What’s flashier than a red canister on your head and a large red cape? Speaking of cape, he’d have to get that resized; it dragged a bit too much when he walked.

                First night on the town and he’d already caught a rumor of a robbery at ACE Chemical Labs down in Otisburg. Adrenaline is running through his system and Hood’s breath nearly fogs the inside of his helmet. Sighing, he briefly takes it off to wipe off the condensation to clear his vision.

                “Gotta find a way to fix that, suffocating or blinding myself with my own mask has got to be the worst blunder ever…” he mutters to himself as he waits for signs of movement in the plant. He’s running through a plan of putting in a vent in the mask when he spots something blocks the lighting from inside. Showtime.

                Red Hood sneaks his way into the building, following the steps of the robbers as silent as he can. He barely catches himself as he steps on his own cape and curses in his head before he trips. _Definitely fixing the cape as soon as I get home_ , he thinks to himself. Just as he’s about to take out the first robber closest to him with one of the metal cards he’d bought, something whirs through the air and cuts into the man’s arm.

                The next few seconds go by like hours, fear clogging his senses. It seems the would-be-robbers share Red Hood’s fear, as they start shouting to each other and the room lights up with the discharge of their guns. Cursing himself for his hesitation, Red Hood jumps into action, taking down the man he’d originally planned on. He turns to fend off the rest of them, as he’s sure they’ve noticed him by that point, and comes face to face with-

                Eyes that glow, claws that shine, the shadows themselves made tangible. Red Hood’s breath catches and he feels his jaw open in a gasp that doesn’t make it out of his helmet. He’d heard of the stories of a monster prowling the underbelly of Gotham, but thought they were just _stories_. Inspired by children’s TV shows and fed by junkies in the middle of a bad trip. Gargoyles don’t exist after all.

                Hood’s not sure what really happens after that. His mind is filled with the need to flee from this physical nightmare, this shadow that’s come out to feast on his bones. He finds himself chasing one of the few remaining robbers still on their feet up the catwalk above the tanks. In retrospect he understands how someone could see that as fleeing _with_ the robber…

                The robber goes down, pounced on by the Gargoyle. The beast turns its gaze on him and Red Hood’s muscles freeze up. His blood is on fire and he feels so _alive_ , which he thinks is strange for a situation he’s positive will end in his death. It’s not until the creature makes a move towards him that his body kicks into motion again.

                “Wait!” he shouts, knowing full well that it’s stupid to try to convince the Gargoyle to not eat him. “This is just a misunderstanding-”

                He steps back on his cape and he’s too focused on the Gargoyle to catch himself. His back tumbles into the railing behind him. Turning his head the barest amount he notices the rusty nails that are all that separates him from where he is and the vats below. The nails give out.

                Air whooshes past him, his over large cape pressing into him and making him feel like he’s tangled in sheets. His vision clears for a moment and he has just enough time to realize that there’s a black gloved _hand_ reaching for him, not claws.

                _It’s a man!_ He thinks to himself, noticing the distressed look on said man’s face before-

                He falls in to the chemicals. His skin is on fire; his bones feel like there are a thousand volts running through them, his lungs feel like gravel and everything is so heavy. He doesn’t know which way is up and which way is down and it feels like he’s lost in a black hole. It feels like a blessing when his fingers snag on a metal edge and he puts his fried mind to the task of pulling himself towards it.

                Each movement is an effort of will, but he crawls his way to the sewers outside the plant. His helmet falls off his head and makes a soft clink when it hits the stone beneath him. He drags his gaze to look at his cape. It’s in tatters, the chemicals having eaten it away just like it ate at his skin. He giggles.

                “That… fucking… _cape_.” His giggles turn into belly deep chuckles, which make his throat ache and his lips burn. He feels like hell warmed over. Twice. He’s laughing so hard he thinks he’s going to bruise a lung when he catches his reflection in the muddy water by his hands. Then his laughter turns to sobs.

~~

Two Months Later

                It’s taken weeks to get his voice to sound… moderately normal. His throat was in shreds and he spent the savings for rent on one of the mob’s doctors so he wouldn’t have to go to a real one. How ironic, using the system he’s trying to take down. Only in Gotham.

                On the bright side, the fear that used to eat at him is all but gone. It gives him enough strength to extend his hand instead of staying in the shadows.

                “Hello again, I’m Red Hood. I hear you go by The Batman?”

                The Gargoyle-come-man shakes his hand, but there’s a look in his eyes like he’s not sure if Hood will break in his grip. It brings a smile to Hood’s face, no matter how painful the expression is now.

                “Just Batman. Listen, Red Hood. I… want to apologize, for the incident in the factory. To be frank, I’m shocked you’re still alive.”

                “Alright _Just Batman_. And that makes two of us! Not really sure how I got out of it with any of my marbles. Though I’m a bit screw loose, heh-heh. Get it? Because, it was rusty screws that- oh never mind I’m sure you get it.”

                Batman’s face was impassive, dipping towards a frown. Red Hood tilted his head, scanning the hero standing in front of him. Maybe it was all the black but Batman gave off waves of dour and doom. It was probably what the man had been going for, and it certainly worked, but Hood wondered if he could ever turn it _off_. Red Hood couldn’t turn _it_ off anymore, but that wasn’t really anybody’s fault. Aside from his tailor. He made a mental note to have a good talking-to with his tailor.

                Hood let out a sigh and allowed his voice to drop its playful edge. “Look Bats, I don’t blame you for what happened.”

                “Regardless Hood. I am sorry I could not catch you before you fell in.” His gravelly voice slipped into something softer, “Did you at least get medical attention?”

                The conversation was approaching dangerous waters, so Hood slipped back into his persona. He lifted his shoulders and arms in a careless shrug he didn’t think would actually work. Gently waving a glove clad hand he dismissed the serious tone their talk had taken. “Phish posh, it wasn’t that bad. A couple weeks with some gauze wrapped around places, a new dress suit and cape. Nothing to be guilt ridden over.”

                He made a step towards the towering shadow, “Although, I did lose my favorite deck of throwing cards. Maybe that was a blessing in disguise, what do you think of using metal spades instead? Not the gardening tool, the symbol.”

                His eyes raked over Batman’s form behind his helmet and he let out a thoughtful hum. “Perhaps you’re not the fellow to ask… you do use little bats after all. The animal, not the stick.”

                Batman’s mouth quirked up _just enough_ that Hood could count it as a smile. His whole being lit up at the sight and Hood knew he was in trouble. He just knew he’d spend every minute he could to trying to get Batman to laugh. He bowed with a flourish and held his cape with one hand like it was a door.

                “Care to gallivant over rooftops searching for crime to halt, Mister _Just Batman_?”

                He knew Bats liked his teasing when all he did was shake his head and shoot out one of his grappling guns. It propelled him into the air, making his cape fan out like wings and Red Hood stared after him absorbing the sight. It brought awe to his eyes that he knew Batman would never see. Pulling himself together, he took off himself, vaulting over rooftops to chase the Knight of the Dark.


End file.
